Happy New Year 2018! Here we are another year, another fresh start. We had a pretty amazing holiday here in Dubai, quality time with friends and family and lots of great food. Always great food!
Christmas is a very busy time. So much is happening in such a short length of time. And then, before you even realize it, badaboom… it’s all over. Whaaat? All of sudden it all goes away and there is a strange, surrounding silence. This used to bug me, when I was younger at least. However, the last few years, I’ve come to appreciate this post-holiday period. Everything goes quiet and life goes on as before, just like that. Life rhythms cool down and amidst all this I find myself a warm and cozy corner that I can I relax into. I take a moment to appreciate the simplicity of things and the life around me.
Making a fresh salad with simple and delicious ingredients comes to mind and so I do. Fresh and juicy. Totally nourishes body and soul. Easy and quick to make, to match my quiet pace. And it’s delicious! To make it I used baby spinach leaves and corn salad leaves (aka: mâche). But feel free to use whatever greens you fancy. About 70 g (2.5 oz) of greens will do. Wondering how much that is? Just grab 2 good handfuls, like so…
Roughly chop the greens. Add 2 cups of cooked quinoa to the bowl. Give it a mix.
I personally really like quinoa. It gives a great texture to the salad and it’s very healthy too. A very good source of protein, manganese, magnesium, folate, phosphorus, iron, dietary fiber and vitamins B. It also has anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties. You can use quinoa instead of rice in a risotto or a salad, or just as a side. It’s always interesting to change things up, see how you like it.
Ok, back to the recipe. Add the sliced green olives and sun-dried tomato. Next you add the salmon. I used around 160 g (abt 5.5 oz) of baked salmon fillet.
Mini Instructions for Baked Salmon:
Take the salmon fillet, and place it in foil, drizzle with some olive, add salt n’ pepper. Place 2-3 slices of lemon on top and sprinkle with some capers. That’s it. Close up the foil and place it in baking dish in the oven for 15-20 mins at 180 C / 350 F.
When its done, let it cool for a few mins and break it into big chunks. Put it on top of salad. Right after that, you add the hard-boiled egg slices and sprinkle with lots of cilantro. Salt and pepper to taste.
I made the dressing with extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. Just whisk both ingredients together, it’s a fairly easy job. My Greek friend visiting for the holidays brought me a bag of fresh lemons from her back yard. I love it when I get my hands on ingredients like that. Fresh and unique. They emanate an unbelievable aroma. Each of them has different size and shape. Each one is beautiful in its own way. Only natural beauty, nothing excessive. Honestly, when I go to big super markets and look at the lemons just laying there stacked on top of each other. They are all the same shape and size, and overwhelmingly shinny with all that wax… I feel sad. They are like the face of a woman with tons and tons of make-up on, fake and still, hiding the beauty underneath. Luckily, there are a few grocery stores here in Dubai where you can find natural lemons.
So just drizzle your salad with loads of dressing and voilla! Enjoy a juicy lunch with tons of flavor!
Serves 2-3
Time: 15-20 mins for cooking the ingredients, assembly 10 mins
INGREDIENTS
70 g (2.5 oz) baby spinach and corn salad leaves (also called mâche), roughly chopped
2 cups of cooked Quinoa
1/3 cup green olives, sliced
3/4 sundried tomato, chopped
160 g (5.5 oz) baked salmon fillet, de-skinned and boneless
1 hardboiled egg, sliced
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/8 cup lemon juice
cilantro, chopped
DIRECTIONS
To make it roughly chop baby spinach leaves and corn salad leaves (aka: mâche). Feel free to use whatever greens you fancy. Add 2 cups of cooked quinoa to the bowl. Give it a mix.
Add the sliced green olives and sun-dried tomato. Next you add the salmon. I used around 160 g (abt 5.5 oz) of baked salmon fillet.
Mini Instructions for Baked Salmon:
Take the salmon fillet, and place it in foil, drizzle with some olive, add salt n’ pepper. Place 2-3 slices of lemon on top and sprinkle with some capers. That’s it. Close up the foil and place it in baking dish in the oven for 15-20 mins at 180 C / 350 F. Let cool and break into big chunks.Put it on top of salad.
Thereafter add the hard-boiled egg slices and sprinkle with lots of cilantro. Salt and pepper to taste.
Make the dressing with extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. Just whisk both ingredients together, it’s a fairly easy job.
So just drizzle your salad with loads of dressing and voilla! Enjoy a juicy lunch with tons of flavor!
